What sort of water levels might we see?

A buoy off the North Carolina coast has recorded waves nearly 30 feet (9 meters) high as Florence churned toward shore.

Forecasters said conditions will deteriorate as the storm pushes ashore early Friday near the North Carolina-South Carolina line and makes its way slowly inland.

Its surge could cover all but a sliver of the Carolina coast under as much as 11 feet (3.4m) of ocean water, and days of downpours could unload more than 3 feet (0.9m) of rain, causing severe flooding.

What we know so far

Little change in strength expected before it moves inland on Friday, according to the US national hurricane center

Florence is about 60 miles (95 km) east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph)

More significant weakening was expected over the weekend and into early next week while Florence moves inland

Despite the slowing of the storm, life-threatening storm surges and hurricane-force winds are occurring along the North Carolina coast, with the threat of freshwater flooding seen increasing over the next several days

The National Weather Service said that between 20 and 40 inches of rainfall was predicted to fall in some areas, and warned that they “cannot overstate the threat of catastrophic flooding this storm will bring”

The number of people affected by power outages in North Carolina has increased to more than 102,000, according to Emergency Management North Carolina.

The east coast braces for Florence – in pictures

A police vehicle patrols the beach after an evening curfew went into effect as Hurricane Florence approaches Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Photograph: David Goldman/AP

Michael Nelson floats in a boat made from a metal tub and fishing floats after the Neuse River went over its banks and flooded his street in New Bern, North Carolina. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A member of the U.S. Army walks through floodwaters near the Union Point Park Complex as Hurricane Florence comes ashore in New Bern, North Carolina. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Rain begins to fall as the outer bands of Hurricane Florence make landfall in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Photograph: Alex Edelman/AFP/Getty Images

Docks broken by water from Neuse River are seen floating as Hurricane Florence comes ashore in New Bern, North Carolina. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

We know it's been a long night and will likely be a long weekend for a lot of you. So we wanted to pass along an important safety message - one that will be very important for you in the coming days - in a fun way. Enjoy. 🎶🎶🎵🎵🎶#HurricaneFlorencepic.twitter.com/Xo6uIefC53

A North Carolina TV news station has evacuated its building due to rising waters from Hurricane Florence.

New Bern’s WCTI-TV NewsChannel 12 posted on Facebook on Thursday night that employees had to abandon the studio for the “first time in history.”

A spokesperson for the ABC affiliate said that roads around the building were flooding.

New Bern is a city along the Neuse River and is near the Atlantic coast, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Wilmington.

The station said on Facebook that it was broadcasting its sister station WPDE-TV’s coverage of the storm.

Brian L Kahn (@blkahn)

On air meteorologists in New Bern casually explaining the building has been evacuated due to Florence’s storm surge but they’re sticking around to stay on air and inform the public pic.twitter.com/bOaaM8eP8n

The National Weather Service branch in Newport/Morehead City, which is on the coast of North Carolina and bracing for the full impact of the hurricane, has shared a video of furious rain outside their office early tonight.

The North Carolina Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has evacuated several thousand adult and juvenile offenders and staff from facilities threatened by the effects of Hurricane Florence.

More than 3,000 offenders have been relocated from facilities in the path of Hurricane Florence. Four county jails have also been evacuated with more than 300 offenders housed temporarily in state facilities.

A news release from the division Wednesday said all adult offenders affected by the move will be allowed to make a free phone call to a family member over the weekend.

The division said leaders made the decision earlier in the week to evacuate three juvenile detention centers and relocate inmates to inland facilities within the system. Officials said 26 youth were moved and their families notified.

The news release said all offenders will be moved back to the affected facilities once the storm subsides and it’s deemed safe for operations to continue.